Dubai RTA mulls smart future transport options

November 3, 2016 940

Dubai: Smart mobility solutions such as driverless vehicles are increasingly seen as a public transport option for Dubai as the city’s transport stakeholders explore various means for the future.

As part of the Dubai Future Accelerators programme, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and Dubai Future Foundation (DFF) have joined hands to assess transportation challenges and explore solutions.

The authorities have handed the task to three international firms.

Hyperloop One; a pioneering firm in the field of rail transport and cutting-edge transit systems has been roped in along with MVMANT, a specialist in offering solutions via smart apps, while the third firm is NEXT, a company dedicated to the development of mini driverless buses as a future solution for the development of mass transportation systems.

Laila Faridoon, chairperson of RTA’s Future Committee, said that a number of areas and transportation sectors have been earmarked for the team of experts to visit and identify opportunities of enhancement.

She added that the team will visit different sites for three months.

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The field visits covered various transportation systems, namely, buses, metro and tram as well as several facilities in Dubai Marina, Downtown Dubai, Al Khail Road and Shaikh Zayed Road.

“Visitors reviewed the autonomous vehicle in a bid to identify the anticipated future challenges of transportation systems in Dubai, and mulled the possibility of drawing up creative strategic plans to address such challenges,” said Faridoon.

She added that the team will develop a creative model for enlisting ideas that have the highest potentials for generating continuous and sustained economic value for transportation in Dubai.

“In its capacity as an incubator of Dubai Future in the transportation sector, the RTA fully appreciates its role in achieving a quantum shift in the strategic investment of future accelerators of Dubai,” she added.

Faridoon said that the challenges facing transportation networks worldwide can no longer be addressed by short-term solutions.

“We need a vision spanning generations to come, which is what we are endeavouring to realise through the Dubai Future Accelerators. The RTA has developed an integrated strategic plan for performing its role in this field,” said Faridoon.


Zawya